


Whiskey Girls

by artificialmac



Category: RuPaul's Drag Race RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Celebrity, Alternate Universe - Small Town, Angst, Country & Western, Eventual Smut, F/F, Fluff, Mutual Pining, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, brief mentions of racism and homophobia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:54:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25926982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artificialmac/pseuds/artificialmac
Summary: Brooke plays lead guitar in an all-female rock band. Vanessa owns the local bar in the tiny town of Walls, Mississippi. It’s the late 60s and it’s hotter than hell.The oppressive heat and small-town backdrop act as the perfect setting for their chance encounter.
Relationships: Brooke Lynn Hytes/Vanessa Vanjie Mateo
Comments: 15
Kudos: 19





	Whiskey Girls

**Author's Note:**

> Hi hi! So this is a little thing I've been working on for a bit! Thanks to Meggie for betaing and being a gem of a human.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

The summer of ‘68 brought record high temperatures to the Mississippi Delta, Desoto County ranking among the top ten hottest places in the US that year. Temperatures reached upwards of 110 degrees for two straight weeks.

But if you asked any local, they would tell you the same: it’s not the heat that gets you, it’s the humidity.

…

Rolling up into the little town of Walls, Brooke smiled instinctively, the small town ambiance reminding her of her own upbringing in a little community on the outskirts of Ontario. Though to be fair, Walls had that southern American flair that not many other places could boast. In that, it was ridiculously hot and housed a maximum population of 3,000. 

This was made evident by the lack of buildings, or maybe Brooke had just gotten used to the bustling city streets of Los Angeles. Even after only a few month’s residence in the city, she had already become accustomed to the fast-paced nature of life there. 

It was oddly refreshing when their tour bus pulled up to the only motel in town, the age stains on the outside of the establishment calming in their simplicity. The garish aqua of the doors clashed with the faded rust-red window trimmings, making the whole layout horrendously outdated. 

But Victoria Motel stood proudly in its place, not looking a day over ancient.

Brooke liked it that way.

She and her fellow bandmates piled out of the bus, bags thrown over their shoulders, as they headed toward the small office just off the collection of rooms.

Nina went in and got their room keys, as was customary after they sent Yvie in a few stops ago and got the cops called on them. They were even deeper in the south now and attracted enough attention as an all-female rock band as it was.

As the group stumbled down the long corridor, dragging their feet in their exhaustion, Brooke chanced a look around, noting vending and ice machines just past the farthest room. She felt sweat on the back of her neck begin to slide down her spine, slipping down each vertebra with every step she took. As more sweat began to prick at her hairline, Brooke was faced with a hard truth, the heat was inescapable.

They had barely unlocked the door to room 138 when Yvie launched herself onto the only bed in the rundown room.

“Dibs,” she mumbled against the off-white comforter. 

Nina just rolled her eyes and looked to Brooke who shrugged. They both turned in time to see Scarlet get a running start from the door and launch herself on top of Yvie, the younger of the two shrieked at the sudden weight on top of her.

Nina and Brooke just backed away slowly, content to let the pair fight it out.

They walked a few steps over to the adjacent room, pushing open the door with a bit of extra force as it stuck to the frame initially. 

They surveyed their home for the next few weeks.

The walls were a drab sort of yellow that was patchy in some places, exposing the much rougher green pigment beneath it. The comforter on the bed looked worn in the middle.

But Brooke set her things down anyway, her precious guitar in the far corner of the room next to the bathroom. Nina smiled when she wasn’t looking.

The older woman stretched out on the uncomfortable-looking bed as Brooke turned around.

“You hungry?”

Nina shook her head.

“You about to pass out?”

Nina nodded, letting her eyes drift shut. 

Brooke smiled softly to herself before turning to look at the still-open door to their room. “Well, I’m gonna go look around the town a bit.” 

Nina pried one knowing eye open. “I knew you would.”

Brooke wiped at the back of her neck sheepishly. 

“Go on.” Nina nodded toward the door.

Brooke gave her oldest friend an appreciative smile before shutting the door behind her quietly.

Brooke breathed in the hot Mississippi air, and a part of her felt like it never left her lungs. She walked down a few dirt roads before coming upon a paved street that led to what she presumed to be the heart of the town.

There was a collection of storefronts: a hair shop, a grocery store, and a municipal building all shared one edifice. Across the street was a drugstore and hardware shop. Each local business named after presumable residents of Walls.

Brooke continued walking down the sidewalk, noting the smattering of flyers on a bookstore front.

She came to the end of the street to find a bustling diner and the town’s local bar, Vanjie’s. 

It was a bit run down, looked a bit like a barn, felt every bit what Brooke had expected from the small town.

The cheery music and boisterous conversations that could be heard just outside the establishment filled Brooke with surprising calm. The windows were wide open. They had to be with the Mississippi heat being what it was. But they also allowed the combination of music and conversation to flow freely out to her, drawing Brooke closer.

The well-worn wooden steps creaked as Brooke ascended them. The crisp summer night air brushed against her cheeks, and she smiled instinctively as warm light spilled out of the building and across her form.

She pushed open the door, noting the chime of the bell above her head. 

The bar was crowded, but not overly so. Locals were gathered in groups around tables or waiting in line for pool. Brooke eyed an unused dartboard in the far corner next to the bar.

But what really caught Brooke’s attention was the pretty girl tending said bar. 

She had her head thrown back in a raucous laugh that beat and echoed against the dark wood walls. Brooke found herself helplessly pulled closer to the gorgeous woman, whose chocolate brown eyes and wavy dark hair framed her face almost angelically. 

Brooke pulled up a stool, the rough wood scratching against the floor.

The woman didn’t notice her at first, enthralled by an older man’s outrageous facial expressions coupled with his wide sweeping gestures.

Brooke watched for a while, as the pretty brunette gave laugh after laugh to the poor soul.

She only noticed Brooke’s presence when the man she had been paying so much attention to nodded in her direction. The bartender thanked him with a gentle hand that lingered a bit too long, before making her way over to Brooke’s side of the bar, sidling up and leaning across the counter.

“Haven’t seen you ‘round before,” the woman drawled, her accent thick, but not strong enough to overpower her words. 

Brooke looked up from where she had been fiddling with the corner of a napkin, and god the bartender was even more beautiful up close. 

“No, you wouldn’t have,” she mused. 

“Just passin’ through?”

Brooke smiled to herself. “My band is on tour. We’re making a stop here for a few weeks.”

“Oh, you in a band?” The woman raised an eyebrow. “That supposed to impress me?” she teased.

Brooke chuckled and looked down to fiddle with the napkin again. “No, but I play guitar.”

“And why's that impressive?”

Brooke glanced back up with a devilish smirk. “It means I know how to use my fingers.”

Usually, when Brooke came on strong to women they did one of two things, they either melted on the spot or rejected her without another word.

But this woman, this gorgeously fascinating woman, just whistled high and shook her head knowingly. “You sound like trouble.”

“You seem the type to like trouble,” Brooke shot back.

The pretty bartender hummed noncommittally, but the corner of her mouth quirked up, which Brooke counted as a win.

She smiled and eased back in her seat, mind suddenly swimming with possibilities. 

It wasn’t often that she came across other people like her. The world was changing, albeit at a glacial pace, but it was changing. Still, setting foot on southern soil always made unease pool in Brooke’s stomach. The constant worry, and even fear at times was crippling. 

But for some reason this girl seemed to ease that nagging. She made Brooke feel brave.

“What can I get you to drink, Miss Famous Guitar Player?”

“An old fashioned.”

The woman smiled to herself before nodding and turning away.

Brooke watched her walk, openly admiring the view. 

She knew she was being ballsy. More reckless than she probably should be seeing as they were in rural Mississippi. But she couldn’t seem to help herself, the charm practically rolling off her tongue of its own free will.

And who was she to deny herself?

When the pretty girl flirted back.

Brooke let her eyes stay fixed on the bartender as she made her way over to the unoccupied dartboard in the corner, beginning to fire shot after shot against the board.

The woman came over to place Brooke’s drink down on the table behind her, and much to Brooke’s surprise, she sat down at said table and propped her feet up on the stool across from her, eyes never leaving the dartboard.

Brooke soon learned her name was Vanessa and she owned the place. Brooke thought she was awfully young to be a business owner, but Vanessa didn’t elaborate. She got up every now and then to top off drinks and keep everything running smoothly, but she always came back to watch Brooke throw dart after dart against the board. 

She didn’t say much, only made discontented noises under her breath when Brooke messed up a throw.

After one particularly lousy shot, Vanessa stood up with a huff, her irritation reaching a boiling point. The stool scraping against the floor set Brooke’s nerves alight, but she stood her ground, watching from over her shoulder as Vanessa took three confident steps forward so she was practically flush against Brooke’s back. The younger woman’s hands moved almost in slow motion up toward Brooke’s shoulders. 

Her eyes flicked upward in that suspended moment in time, question clear in the dark brown orbs. 

‘ _Is this okay?_ ’

Brooke nodded dumbly, surprising herself with how much she suddenly craved skin to skin contact.

Vanessa smiled, and time moved normally once again as her shorter arm ran the length of Brooke’s outstretched hand, wrapping loosely around Brooke’s that held the dart. 

“You gotta line yo’ hand up with the center.” Her breath tickled the base of Brooke’s neck, sending pleasant shivers down to her toes.

Brooke did her best to focus, her mind feeling hazy as Vanessa’s warm exhales beat against her already overheated skin.

“Keep lookin’ at the center,” she instructed. “Don’t look away.”

Brooke focused, lining up her shot with Vanessa’s steady hand as a guide. She breathed in and out slowly, steadying her suddenly racing heartbeat. 

Vanessa led her hand slightly back toward their faces. 

“One. Two. Three.”

Brooke turned her head just the slightest bit at the last second and the dart went flying, landing with a resounding thud just off center of the bullseye.

“You looked away!” The bartender exclaimed, eyes wide, one hand planted firmly on a hip.

“I couldn't help it!” Brooke threw her hands up dramatically. “You’re too pretty. It’s distracting.”

Vanessa chuckled and shook her head disbelievingly, “I dunno where you come from, but down here you ain’t talk to another girl like that.”

“Well, where I come from you don’t blush like that unless you’re interested.” 

Vanessa bit the inside of her cheek to hide a smile. 

Brooke made no attempt to hide hers.

The two women stared at each other for a beat, letting the past few minutes wash over them, getting lost in it.

“I gotta get back to work,” Vanessa finally said, cutting into silence. 

Brooke nodded, making no attempt to stop her.

Vanessa lingered a moment, seemingly torn about what to say. She shook her head and made to get back to the bar, but stopped a second later. 

She turned back to Brooke. “You’ll come back tomorrow, yeah?”

“Was that a question or a request?” 

Vanessa rolled her eyes. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

Brooke chuckled and nodded her head. _Yes_. She would come back tomorrow

…

As Vanessa locked up the bar for the night, she found her mind kept drifting back to the beautiful blonde stranger. Her long legs and bright blue eyes and her incessant flirting that Vanessa really should have put a stop to sooner.

She still wasn’t entirely sure why she didn’t. If anyone else had been half as brazen as the woman, Vanessa would have kicked them to the curb without a second thought.

But for some reason, the playful smile at Vanessa’s lips wouldn’t abate.

No matter how much she wanted it to.

**Author's Note:**

> Not sure how often updates will be with school starting up for me this week, but hopefully I can get some up quickly.


End file.
